The Eighth
by NoScopedn00b
Summary: Chapter 7 is finally up! It's a bright welcoming day in Konoha, except for the new, dangerous foe that threatens to destroy everything. How will this affect the village and its inhabitants? NaruHina, little NejiTen, Rated T just to be on the safe side.
1. A New Day

**Author's Notes:** Okay hey everybody. This is my first fanfic, so be nice! This story takes place in the future where everybody is around 19 years old. And now without further ado, enjoy.­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

"Today. Today is the day I tell him," whispered the lavender-eyed kunoichi to herself.

Hyuuga Hinata had been dreaming about this day forever, the day she would tell her one and only crush how she truly felt about him.

Seven years before today, it would have been impossible for Hinata to profess her love. However, with the coming of adulthood, Hinata had lost much of what made her, in her mind, weak. She stopped stuttering (much to the approval of her father, Hiashi) and she stopped tenting her fingers in her own, awkward manner. Hopefully, these would make her more noticeable and less embarrassing to be around

Losing her awkwardness was not the only change that Hinata faced. She had also grown her deep violet hair down to her shoulders, even threatening to reach her lower back.

Haruno Sakura, her new best friend, had also taught her how to apply make-up. Although Hinata would've liked to have believed this was done simply out of friendship, Sakura felt Hinata was, "a pale, boring girl that no one would give a second glance to," those being her exact words.

Even though they stung the young Hyuuga's ears, in her mind she knew it was true. Time and time again, Hinata had thought herself to be nothing, tumbleweed in the wind if you will.

Her wardrobe had also undergone a few changes, although not as drastically as her personality had. She still wore her trademark Hyuuga coat, and it was unlikely she would ever give it up. Beneath the coat, however, Hinata wore more (ahem) "womanly" clothes to show off her new features, again in an effort to get Naruto to notice her.

"Today is the day I make Naruto-kun mine."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto was getting ready for his big day. Today he was officially going to become a jonin. After training with the toad sage Jiraiya for two and a half years, it had become clear he was ready to advance to at least a chunin. Since he came back, his skills increased exponentially.

Grinning to himself, Naruto said aloud, "Heh. Once I'm a jonin, becoming Hokage will be a piece of cake! Dattebayo!" Just then Naruto's stomach growled violently. Sighing inwardly, Naruto knew he couldn't take his test on an empty stomach.

At least his seemingly infinite hunger hadn't changed. This once idiotic genin had also undergone some drastic changes. First and foremost, his clothes had changed the most. Due to Jiraiya's harsh training, Naruto was forced to lose his usual get-up.

FLASHBACK

"_Naruto, you really should find a new uniform," sighed Jiraiya gently. Thinking to himself, 'it really is a wonder this kid has never been injured in battle.'_

"_Nani? No way Ero-Sennin!" _

_Jiraiya's eyes twitched at his new apprentice's nickname for him. "You are changing your clothes or I am not training you!"_

_At this Naruto quieted down. 'I have to do this. It's Sasuke's only hope.'_

_Noticing Naruto's faraway glance, Jiraiya knew he had to try a different tactic. "It's not that I don't like them, it's just that you're basically telling the enemy where you and your team are. I'm sure Orochimaru would see you from a mile away."_

_The mere mention of Orochimaru's name sealed the deal. "Hai Jiraiya-sensei!" said Naruto clearly. Then, to himself, "anything that will get Sasuke back."_

"_Well, we are going to need something darker, preferably black, but grey is fine too…"_

"_I have one request Ero-Sennin. I will wear new clothes, but there has to be a little orange in I," Naruto said, grinning sheepishly._

_Jiraiya sighed. "Fine. At least it's a start."_

END FLASHBACK.

Instead, he now wore a black suit similar to his previous one, only it was now primarily black instead of orange with orange stripes running down his sides. Not only that, but the suit itself was about five inches bigger than his previous one, only to fit his now growing masculine frame.

Besides his clothes, Naruto's personality had changed quite a bit. He was no longer the Number One Hyperactive Knuckled-headed Ninja that his former sensei, Hatake Kakashi once dubbed him. He was now a mature young man, perhaps even on the verge of responsible.

It was there the differences ended. Besides growing a few inches, cutting his whiskers down to a respectable size, and letting the blonde spikes that he called hair grow out a bit, Naruto was basically the same person he was before he left Konoha seven years earlier.

"Oh well. Becoming a jonin can wait," said Naruto, grinning stupidly. "Off to Ichiraku Ramen!"­­­­­­­­

* * *

Even outside of Konoha, the spirits were high. Unfortunately, they remained high for a different reason. Deep in the forests well outside the village, ancient foes of Konoha were waking up, desperate for revenge.

"Aiken. Report."

A small but wiry man winced. It had been nineteen years since he had seen his master, so is was only natural to receive a warm welcome. Unfortunately, this was his master's way. Being called a dog was one of the nicest things ever done for him.

Personal names (Aiken's was Izanagi) had long lost their purpose in this gang; they were easily tracked and next to useless.

"W-well B-b-byakko-sama (A/N white tiger), the targets h-have grown substantially. Many even p-p-possess unique kekkei genkais."

At this, Byakko's ears perked up. "Kekkei genkai? Why was I not informed sooner? At the very least stop stuttering Aiken. I have plenty of subordinates to take your place, so killing you would be quite simple."

"H-hai Byakko-sama!" Aiken knew this was not a hollow threat. At least five other men were killed before he reached his position. "Unfortunately, the Jinchuriki that we are after possesses no such trait, but he is a quick study. From what I have seen, he mastered the Rasengan in less than a week."

"Well well Aiken, it seems as though you aren't completely useless after all." Aiken's eyes filled themselves with hope. "However, due to my… other sources… it seems you have been seen and put on the radar."

"B-but Byakko-sama this is impossible! I have been framed I swe-swear!"

Byakko smiled. "I know. Can I trust I will never here this again?"

Aiken couldn't believe his luck. His master's mercy resembled that of Orochimaru's, if not less. "Hai! I will not give any reason to fail you again!"

"I know. Now get out of my sight. I have other things to tend to."

After bowing down to his master one last time, Aiken got up to leave. However something was wrong. He seemed to be completely paralyzed, totally unable to move his body at all.

"B-byakko-sama…?"

"Don't worry. It will be over soon."

Aiken was not even able to draw another breath. Before he was able to blink, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down on his normally scar-free body, he noticed something completely different: his master's sword protruding from where his heart was located.

The only movement Aiken was able to do was to cough up his blood. Clutching his sides, he tried to remove the sword; however, it seemed as though it had a life of its own. The sword refused to let go, grabbing his organs which soon begin to burst in succession.

"Even in death you will serve me," whispered Byakko. "I know you won't fail me there."

Aiken was beginning to loose consciousness. Glancing up at his former master one last time, Aiken closed his eyes and was finally laid to rest.

"This will make an interesting welcoming present to my, ah… former… village." Byakko never laughed. He never cried. He simply got up from his seat, taking his late subordinate with him. As with personal names, emotions had also lost their purpose.

"Soon you will all be mine… ninja of Konoha…"

* * *

Yay first chapter done! Constructive criticism is much appreciated. 


	2. Return

**Author's Notes:** Hey thanks for the reviews! They really brightened up my day :-D Let's get on with the story now, shall we?

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'_Where is this baka_,' thought Tsunade, the fifth Hokage of Konoha. '_It's not everyday one gets a chance to become a jonin_.'

Unfortunately, this was true. Ever since Orochimaru attacked the village seven years ago, it was her belief the number of causalities could have been decreased tenfold if the jonins were more experienced. This led to longer periods of training, and fewer chunin and jonin exams. Although she was not actually there when he attacked, she had read the case reports enough times to recite them forwards and backwards.

Sighing inwardly, Tsunade decided to take this time as a break. '_Kami-sama only knows where this brat is.'_ Just as she was about to close her eyes, Naruto burst through the doors, excess ramen in his mouth and all.

"Baa-chan! I'm here!" Naruto's nickname for Tsunade was another thing that had not worn off. Winking slyly, Naruto also added, "I knew you wouldn't start without me."

This was too much for the aging Sannin. Despite having the appearance of a busty thirty year-old woman, Tsunade was actually in her late fifties. This little fact was exploited by Naruto every time he saw her.

"Well maybe I already did brat," growled Tsunade. Laughing silently, she also added, "It's a shame Naruto. I was really hoping you would become a jonin. I guess you'll have to wait until next year."

Naruto winced. "But baa- I mean Tsunade-sama! I'm thirty minutes early. You couldn't have started them yet!"

Cocking her eyebrow, it was hard for Tsunade to hide her pleasure. "Since when did you start paying attention to the time? Oh and I like that new name for me. You should use it more often."

"BAA-CHAN! How could you?" This was the first time Naruto had been tricked by anyone in a long time. _'Ah it's probably nothing. I just have to calm down a bit.'_

"Well Granny Tsunade, what are we going to do now?"

Meanwhile on the other side of Konoha

Hyuuga Hinata was just finishing up her chores when an idea popped into her head '_I should do something nice for Naruto-kun.'_ Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh I know! I'll get him some ramen and flowers. That should brighten up his day."Obviously pleased with her plan, she began humming a childhood tune to herself.

What Hinata didn't realize, however, was that she was being watched from afar.

"Just a little further girly…" whispered a masked figure, apparently talking to no one in particular. "Keep going… you're almost there…"

Just then a bloodcurdling scream interrupted his thoughts.

"Good job…" said the man, obviously pleased with himself. Speaking into his mike, the man whispered "Byakko-sama… they found it…"

A voice crackled from the other end. "Very good Akuba. Return to headquarters at once."

Akuba nodded as if his master was right next to him. "Hai!" Without another breath, he disappeared into the densely packed forest.

* * *

The fifteen minutes that passed felt like an eternity to Naruto. The only reason why he had arrived early in the first place was in the hope that he would see the Hokage in action. Instead, all he saw his dream position do was meaningless paper work.

Tsunade noticed the boredom literally dripping out of the blue-eyed ninja's eyes. "You know Naruto, this part of being Hokage is a very small part of what I actually do." Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up. "Don't let this boring part of the job steer you away from your dream."

"Hai Tsunade-sama!" Naruto was ecstatic. He even went as far as to go into his friend Rock Lee's "nice guy" pose. "I won't let you down!"

'_So it looks like the boy really has matured. He may make it after all.'_

Scratching the back of his head grinning sheepishly, Naruto was clearly done. "Well, I don't want to bother you any more. Have fun with your, um, paperwork."

Reaching for the door, Naruto was barreled down by the likes of a visibly scarred Hinata.

Naruto jumped back, seemingly unfazed from the hit he got from the heavy door. "Hinata, what happened?" He had never seen such a look of fear from this normally stable girl.

Stalling for just a moment, thinking _'Naruto-kun cares about me? Wait, now is not the time._' Hinata then shoved Naruto out of the way. "Hokage-sama! Come quickly. Th-there is so-something th-that you should see."

Even Tsunade was taken aback by Hinata's fear, as well as her disregard for Naruto. "Of course Hinata. Where are we going?"

"It isn't ve-very far," whispered Ino hoarsely. "Please, fo-follow me."

Running through the streets of Konoha, the trio of ninja noticed a drastic change. The people moving to there mysterious destination had a look of sheer horror on their faces, perking Naruto's insatiable curiosity.

"Hinata, could you at least brief us a bit?" Silence. _'I'll take that as a no.'_

After just two more minutes of dodging the somewhat zombified villagers, the group reached what seemed like a total massacre.

Everyone gasped, even Hinata. Obviously she hadn't had enough time to brace herself a second time. Naruto didn't blame her.

"Oh my god… what in the seven hells?" Naruto asked, half out of shock, half out of curiosity.

"Naruto, Hinata. Close this area off immediately," whispered Tsunade. The two ninja didn't seem to notice her; they were too captivated with what was laid before them. "NOW!"

Naruto and Hinata jumped about two feet in the air. _'I have never seen this look in Tsunade-baa chan's eyes. Could it be… fear? No… there's no way.'_

"H-hai Tsunade-sama." In a flash, both ninjas were gone.

"So… Fujiwara Asaoka has indeed returned. I hope the ninja are ready… this attack may be far, far worse than the Kyuubi's."

Departing from the scene, Tsunade decided enough was enough. She would have to tell her fellow ninjas everything about one of the worst renegade ninjas in the history of Konoha, as well as his affiliation with the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist.

Gritting her teeth, Tsunade knew that a very important fight was imminent. _'The lives of everyone hangs in a balance... what we have may not be enough.' _

Looking back one last time, Tsunade allowed one small tear drip from her eye. _'This time Asaoka, I will save you.'_

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Okay chapter 2 done. And yes, I will describe the horror scene next chapter. I'm not going to leave you guys hanging like that!

As always, keep reviewing!


	3. The First Date

**Author's Notes: **Okay I just missed one thing in the last chapter: Akuba means horse. Thank you all who favorited this! On with the story!

* * *

After setting up a perimeter around the scene, Hinata and Naruto fled to somewhere more comfortable. Naruto knew just the place—his hideout from all the stress in his life.

"Hi-Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto was really concerned. He knew how Hinata generally was around emotionally distressing places; he was just waiting for her to faint.

"I'm o-okay Na-Naruto-kun," whispered Hinata softly. To herself, Hinata thought _'damn this stutter. I must be strong around Naruto.'_

"Are you sure? It's not everyday you see… that."

"I'm perfectly alright. Just leave me alone!"

After that outburst, Hinata immediately regretted it. Naruto turned his head away, trying to hide his shock from the normally quiet Hyuuga heiress. _'What am I saying? Naruto is worried about _me_ of all people.'_

"Go-Gomen Naruto. To tell the truth, I am a bit shaky. Co-Could we re-rest somewhere mo-more… quiet?"

Naruto immediately cheered up. "Of course Hinata-chan! I know just the place. Here, follow me."

Hinata was in a daze. _'Hinata-_chan?_ Naruto has never called me _that_ before. Maybe my new appearance has had an effect on him.'_

"H-Hai Naruto-kun!"

Without a moment's hesitation, both ninja were gone from the horror scene, quickly making their way to the top of Hokage mountain, namely just above the Third's head. Naruto had come here many times before, during times of depression or happiness. Either way, the view that was displayed always calmed him down greatly. He hoped it would do the same for Hinata.

* * *

"Shizune! I want you to ring the alarm bell. I want all available shinobi in front of me in less than ten minutes."

Tsunade's assistant had never seen her master so flustered before. All the times they had fled gambling casinos due to going bankrupt paled in comparison to her face now. Tsunade wore a mask that was rarely seen—one of sheer horror.

"Hai Tsunade-sama! But before I go, is there anything else you need? Maybe a cold washcloth or a--"

Tsunade raised her hand as if to interrupt. "Shizune, my health as of now should be the least of your worries. Now, go quickly! The fate of village rests on getting information to our shinobi now!"

Shizune nodded in complete understanding, but also with a look of apprehension. Replaying the last ominous words that came out of her master's mouth, Shizune left.

"Na-Naruto-kun…? Wh-What is th-this pla-place?"

Hinata had never seen something so beautiful before. The view seemed to be pulled directly out of a painter's masterpiece. The panorama view of the village was a mix of beautiful colors; the dark green trees blended perfectly with the pale browns and reds of Konoha. What really took Hinata's breath away was the sky, something she barely had time to enjoy during her intense training and seemingly infinite missions. The sky also looked like a painting. Actually it was more of a canvas with its swirls and blobs. The stretches of pink, red, blue, orange, and yellow that could only come from a particularly clear sunset capped off the scene perfectly, perhaps resembling the unorthodox finger-painting of a seven year-old. To Hinata, the view was so beautiful that she remained speechless.

Naruto smiled. _'Damn she looks so cute right now.'_ Shaking off thoughts that would put the pervert Jiraiya to shame, Naruto forced his way back into reality.

"I'm glad you like it Hinata-chan. That was my reaction when I first came here. I found this view relaxing as a kid, mostly because I got away from _them_," said Naruto as he pointed down towards the busy villagers, Hinata quickly understanding what he meant.

Hinata also snapped back into the harsh reality that is life. "Oh… Naruto-kun, I-I'm so sorry. They were ignorant ba-back then."

"I know… Still, it would have helped if they weren't so damn evil!" Again displaying a rare faraway look in his blue eyes, Naruto began replaying the episode that led to his hatred for Konoha during his childhood.

FLASHBACK

"_Monster! Die! Get out of here you filthy demon!" _

_All the villagers were merciless in their constant taunts. They wanted to make sure this demon child would leave their village, one way or another._

"_B-But I-I'm not a mon-monster…" said a small, six year-old version of Naruto. "Please be-believe me!"_

_Just behind him, a small girl was trying to give a helpful hand, trying to pull Naruto out of the dark abyss that hatred created._

"_Maya! Get away from that, that beast!" _

_The small girl pulled her hand away to rejoin her mother, unknowingly causing Naruto deep personal and emotional harm._

"_I-I'm not a be-beast…"_

"_Just leave Konoha you freak! We don't need you or your evil!" At this, the villagers began picking up rocks to throw at the small boy._

_Naruto was delusional now. His tears drenched his clothes, while at the same time blinding him. He could hardly breathe, and the constant barrage of rocks wasn't helping either. The only way out of this mess was to run, but without the sense of eyesight, getting away would prove difficult._

"_Ju-Just le-leave me a-alone… I-I mean you n-no ha-harm!"_

_Naruto's pleas fell on deaf ears. The villagers were also blinded by a combination of fear and hatred for the Kyuubi container, even though he was nowhere near as bad as the actual demon. _

"_Quickly, everyone, push the brat into the river! Maybe he'll float away or drown!" _

_The exclamation was instantly put into use. The villagers ran and scooped up the helpless and near trampled boy, only to deposit him in the treacherous river moments later._

"_Good-bye and good riddance demon!" laughed the villagers in unison. "May you poison us no longer!"_

_Naruto could only sail away, obviously accepting defeat by praying for death. Thinking weakly to himself, 'they are right. I am a demon… I deserve to die.'_

END FLASHBACK

Naruto was so deep in his reverie that he hardly noticed the shy Hyuuga sneaking up on him. Hoping to pull her crush out of the darkness, Hinata slowly put her arms around his chest, clutching it as though she would never let go.

"Na-Naruto-kun… pl-please co-come back."

Naruto immediately turned his attention to the arms that were around his waist and chest. It wasn't like Hinata to be so forward, but Naruto couldn't help it. He enjoyed every moment of her close contact, even wishing for something more.

"Hinata I--," began Naruto.

Hinata's face fell. _'I guess he doesn't like me after all.' _After pulling her arms away from him, she also added, "I'm sorry I put you in an uncomfortable position. It won't happen again."

Naruto was visibly surprised, but quickly recovered. He did not want this moment to end, and would do everything in his power to make sure it did not. He grabbed Hinata's arms and placed them around his waist again, but this time he turned around to face her directly, only to meet a limp young woman.

"Hinata-chan! Are you okay?" Naruto was clearly confused. "What the hell just happened?

Hinata, on the other hand, was in her own dreamland where she never left Naruto's side. It seemed like Heaven to her, even though she was unconscious. Still, her best moments in life took place in her own mind. Unfortunately, this moment was about to end.

BRRRRR-RING! The thunderous sound of the emergency bell rung out throughout the village of Konoha. Hinata, however, was unfazed. She even kept her smile on her face during the five loud rings, determined to not let her vision with Naruto escape.

"I guess everything has to come to an end eventually," said Naruto softly. "Come on Hinata; we are needed elsewhere."

And with that, the two ninjas departed from the scene with one held closely by the other. The cool breeze calmed both of them down into a state of pure happiness, although ironically it signaled the coming storm that threatened Konoha and everything it stood for.

* * *

Okay okay I know I said I would describe what caused our three characters to jump in this chapter, but it was getting too long. I will do it next chapter though, believe it! 


	4. Gathering the Ninja

**Author's Notes:** Come on people, I need more reviews to survive! You don't want this story to die do you? Well?? Give me an answer, I'm dying here!

* * *

The emergency bell had just rung, but all the shinobi of Konoha arrived in front of the Hokage Tower within the first ring. Most of jonins and more experienced chunins of the village were off doing other missions, but the group that formed was indeed formidable enough to handle any challenge, despite the small number. They were the pride of the village—Hyuuga Neji, Hinata's cousin and member of one of the Hyuuga branch families; Nara Shikamaru, the resident genius of Konoha; TenTen, the master of any and all weapons known to a ninja; and finally Haruno Sakura, the pink-haired kunoichi that was an exact replica of the Fifth Hokage herself, having both her medical genius and near godly strength. 

"Do any of you guys know what this is about?" Shikamaru was the first to question why they were called so suddenly. Sighing under his breath, he also muttered, "I hope this isn't too troublesome."

Sakura was quick to answer. "Whatever it is, it's clear we are going to have to be on our A-game. This bell is hardly ever rung; the last time of course being when the Kyuubi attacked."

Everyone winced. Although the attack was nineteen whole years ago, even time cannot heal the deepest wounds.

"No matter. Whatever Tsunade-sama throws at us, we'll be ready," replied the stoic Neji with his eyes unwavering.

"Of course Neji. We're behind you one hundred percent." Winking, it was now TenTen who answered (and quite coyly at that). It was only natural for TenTen to agree with Neji; after all, they had been together for nearly two years now.

Neji smiled, something rarely done before he started his relationship with her. In his earlier days of being a genin, he was a little uneasy about dating anyone. Who would have thought this unemotional man would open his heart to anyone, especially a girl? TenTen may have been the single greatest thing that ever happened to him, whether he realized it or not. Besides showing irritation, Neji also began to feel more, namely happiness, jealousy, and, above all, love.

Now moving closer to his girlfriend, Neji whispered in her ear, "thanks TenTen."

After giving her a quick peck on the cheek, the four shinobi entered the fire red building. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

* * *

Tsunade was tapping her fingers on her desk, rotating between rapid and slow speeds. Her fingerprints were beginning to embed themselves into the dark oak when Shikamaru, Sakura, TenTen, and Neji burst through the door. 

'_Is this it? Where is everybody else?' _Tsunade became visibly worried.

Noticing the confused look on her sensei's face, Sakura asked, "Tsunade-sensei, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing Sakura. I was just expecting more people to show up. Oh well. We'll deal with what we have so far. Hopefully more will show up later."

"Hai Tsunade-sama," answered everyone in unison.

Tsunade crossed her fingers and propped her elbows on the desk, covering her face in the process. Hoping to hide her disappointment, Tsunade let one small sigh escape her mouth. _'This is not what I expected. I may have to call everybody back from their other missions. These kids may be strong, but they don't have the necessary experience required for this type of mission.'_

"Hey Tsunade-baachan I hope you didn't start without us! Oh and I'm going to need a little help. Hinata kind of, um, fainted." The unmistakable voice of Uzumaki Naruto had entered the fray, as well as the limp body but comfortable body in his arms, Hyuuga Hinata.

Quick as a flash, Neji drew a kunai from his side pouch and in the same motion, braced it against the blonde's neck.

"You have some explaining to do Uzumaki. What did you do to Hinata-sama?" Making sure no one else could here but Naruto, Neji also added something a tad more sinister, "if you hurt her in any way, I will personally end the pathetic excuse of what you call your 'life.'"

"I'm glad to see you too Neji. It's good to see you're the same as always," scoffed Naruto, apparently unafraid of Neji's death threat.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Neji! Calm down now. We have more important matters at hand."

"More important than the heiress of the Hyuuga clan? Tsunade-sama, I find that insulting to the highest de--"

"Neji, enough!" Tsunade slammed her hands on the table with her eyes flared. "We will deal with this later. Look, Hinata is getting up already."

As if on cue, Hinata awoke from her slumber. After shaking off the final effects of fainting, Hinata was ready to do anything, but first she had to get out of Naruto's arms.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" Naruto locked eyes with the shy Hyuuga. "You could put me down now."

Smiling and confident Hinata was okay, Naruto obeyed. Hinata returned the favor with a small smile of her own which was also accompanied by her trademark blush.

"Neji-niisan, you can sheath your kunai now. I'm perfectly alright." Although Neji was indeed Hinata's cousin, his almost brotherly protection of her had earned him the title of 'brother.'

"Hai Hinata-sama." Neji would dare not rebel against his soon-to-be master and head of the entire household. TenTen grabbed his arm from behind just to make sure nothing else would happen.

Whispering in his ear, she said "Neji we're all allies here. If you promise not to hurt any of them, I'll go on another date with you. Maybe I'll do something even more than that." By toying with his braid that sent shivers up and down Neji's spine, TenTen knew she had sealed the deal.

Smirking, Neji knew the truth. TenTen would take any reason to go out with him again. He wasn't complaining of course; he would gladly reciprocate her feelings for him given the chance.

"Enough messing around!" Everyone stood in attention as if the foolishness in the room flew out the window. "There is something that you all need to see."

* * *

Arriving at the scene a third time was almost too much for Hinata. Instead of fainting again, she simply buried her head in Naruto's chest. Likewise, TenTen did the same with Neji. Without anyone to help shield their eyes, Sakura and Shikamaru could only awkwardly observe what was laid out before them. 

The symbol on the dirt ground was simple; it was just the number eight, nothing too spectacular. What created the shape, however, was what made it so grotesque. A human body, or at least the arms and legs of a human body, constructed the number perfectly. Whoever laid this little present obviously had no reverence for the dead; it was clear that the body had been unceremoniously picked at by birds since it was placed on the ground. Blotches of dried blood caked the ground around it, while what was left of the flesh was pecked open by hungry vultures and rodents alike. To cap off this horror scene, the mystery body's head had been place in the upper circle of the eight while wearing an expression of total agony and pain. Although the ninjas hadn't noticed yet, the man's head was one that had been seen before many years ago-- one Aiken, the late subordinate of Byakko.

"Gondaime-sama… what does it mean?" inquired the tactically sharp ninja. Gazing into her eyes, Shikamaru immediately knew. "So… Fujiwara Asaoka has returned hasn't he?"

Tsunade's eyes shot up in Shikamaru's direction. She couldn't help but hide the surprised expression that covered her face. She had always known Shikamaru was brilliant, but knowing the Eighth Swordsman of the Mist's name was totally out of the ballpark.

"Care to explain yourself Shikamaru?" demanded Tsunade. Taking his lazy pose as a 'no,' Tsunade decided to take matters into her own hands.

Facing her ninjas head-on, Tsunade began her tale. "What I am about to tell you is strictly classified. The only reason why Shikamaru knows," Tsunade nodded her head towards the sleepy ninja, "is beyond even me. First off, how much do you know about the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?"

The name had rung a bell within the heads of each ninja. Collectively the ninjas knew of only three to date, each as evil as they were formidable.

"Oh I know one!" Sakura snapped her fingers as if a light went off in her head. "Zabuza, the guy with that huge cleaver-like sword! He's dead though. Kakashi-sensei killed him awhile ago."

Neji was next. "Don't forget Raiga, the master of those dual lightening swords. Wasn't he the one that had some sick fetish for funerals?"

Naruto nodded silently. "The only other one I know of is Kisame, the one that uses the shredding sword. The one that is a member of Akatsuki."

Tsunade didn't allow Naruto to dwell on his past dealings with the Akatsuki, or its members. There was no doubt in her mind that Naruto was again thinking about Sasuke. Although it pained her to see the normally joyful ninja look so depressed, she had to move on instead of offering comfort.

"Yes, you are all correct. Do you know of the remaining four?" The six shinobi nodded their heads slowly. Even the great Shikamaru was stumped.

Tsunade sighed. She knew they would have no idea, but the less she talked the better. They would need all the time they had to catch Byakko, so none could be wasted.

"You guys better get comfortable. We're in for a long night."

* * *

Alright there's chapter four done. And yes, I am planning on having more pairings in the future, just so you guys know. Now that the "prologue" chapters are done, let's get ready to see some more action! 


	5. Information

**Author's Notes:** Yo how's everyone doing? I know the story has been slow so far, but it will pick up very, very, VERY soon. Also, I'm going up to Maine for three weeks, so I won't be able to update as often as I have been. I'll try to squeeze out another chapter before I go though (hopefully).

* * *

'_We're in for a long night.'_ The words of the Fifth still echoed in the heads of each ninja. They all had their own reasons for being worried; for example, Shikamaru only wanted to sleep and was afraid Tsunade's story would encroach upon his personal time. For the more "active" ninjas, their worries were centered around the fact that what Tsunade was about them could very well be the most important thing asked of them in each of their respective lifetimes.

"Alright, let's begin this with the other four members of this 'sword clan.' The first thing you must understand is that these swordsmen can control the elements, much like Raiga."

Making sure everyone understood where she was going, Tsunade continued.

"First, we have Yamada Hitoshi, wielder of the Blade of Earth. He is probably the most stable of the four, but be warned: if you get too close to him, he will suck you down into an early tomb. When you fight in his environment, you will have a serious disadvantage. Try to stay in the air as long as possible before attacking him. Next, there is Sasaki Isamu. He controls the Blade of Fire. His power should be self-explanatory. If you get too close, you will of course get burned. After that, we have Kimura Asami. She--"

Everyone's attention immediately rose. They obviously weren't expecting a female to be in a group called the Seven Swords_men_ of the Mist. Tsunade, being as attentive as she is, noticed the confusion painting everyone's facing. Raising an eyebrow, she decided to tackle the problem immediately.

"Listen to me, everyone." The group of ninjas again went back into listening mode. "Don't ever be fooled by a name, ever. Remember to always be alert for any and all deceptions."

Content with the fact that everyone had taken her little moral to heart, Tsunade continued with her story.

"Now, as I was saying, Kimura Asami is the master of the Blade of Water. Not only can she summon water at _any_ location, but she can also form something related to shadow clones with them. They, unlike shadow clones, have their own chakra system--"

"Eh Tsunade what are you talking about? My shadow clones have chakra too you know. I could probably take this Asami person head-on!" Of course this was Naruto who spoke up.

Tsunade sighed, displeased with Naruto for not listening closely. "Naruto, please pay attention." She waited for him to sit back down before continuing. Giving a slight cough, Tsunade resumed. "It is true your shadow clones possess part of your chakra, but these 'water clones,' if you will, are something entirely different. It is like fighting a perfect clone of an already powerful foe. They won't disappear as easily as your clones Naruto."

Sighing, Naruto said, "Alright Tsunade-sama. Please continue."

The other five ninjas were surprised at how well Naruto handled Tsunade's speech towards him. The old Naruto would most definitely have insulted Tsunade again, gotten punched in the face, and then gone home pouting with a black eye.

'_Oh my Naruto is so mature now. I didn't know he could get more handsome than he was before,'_ thought Hinata, blushing slightly. _'I guess that's what happens when your personality becomes more mature. He would make a really good father… No wait what am I thinking? I must stay focused for the good of Konoha, even if I just want Naruto to--"_

"Enough!" Tsunade interrupted Hinata's thoughts while at the same time trying to get control of her ninjas again. "No more distractions! Everyone just close your mouths! Finally, we have Kimura Ryuu, the brother of Asami and the wielder of the Blade of Air. He is the most powerful of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, simply because of his masterful control over the air. If you get too close to him, he will literally suck the air out from around you. Trust me; you will die a very slow and painful death by suffocation."

"Thanks for the history lesson, but what does that have to do with anything?" asked Sakura.

"I'm just giving you a little background information. Who knows, maybe it might come in handy later. Anyways, there is one thing that was omitted from the textbooks about this group."

Shikamaru had already put the pieces together, but he felt someone more experienced should continue. Besides, he didn't want to waste this time listening to some story; there were some pretty interesting clouds to enjoy now, especially just before sunset.

"Shikamaru." The Fifth directed her piercing gaze at the laziest ninja. "I have no doubt in my mind you have already figured out what I am going to say, but for the sake of manners, please, just listen."

Shikamaru angrily lowered his head letting only four words come out from under his breath, "this is too troublesome."

"The name mentioned before, Fujiwara Asaoka, is the _eighth_, that's right, eighth swordsman of the Mist. However, he did not come from the Village Hidden in the Mist; he came from this very village, Konahagakure. You see, he was--"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. _'Shit what's happening now?'_ asked Tsunade in her mind. Her question was answered once she, as well as the other shinobi, turned their heads to the once lifeless 'eight' behind them. As of now, the separate parts of the massacred body were beginning to pull themselves back together, but very slowly. It was as if whoever was pulling the strings wanted to make sure the audience would be completely disgusted by the time the whole charade was over.

After what seemed like an eternity, the body was totally stitched back together, even though some parts were missing. Besides the absence of a few fingers and toes, the fact that you could see various (A/N yes they knew it was a man) bones, and that the bottom of his mouth was completely unhinged, he looked just like a regular person. However, the horror show was not over yet. Slowly, the man raised his finger at Tsunade.

"Tsunade… long time no see eh?" It seemed impossible, but it seemed like a voice was emanating from the mouth of this poor victim. The voice itself was inhuman, even borderline demon. To Naruto, it was almost as if the Kyuubi had gained another human container and was speaking to him.

"My my, you haven't changed at all have you?" the soft, but deep, voice still continued. "You don't look a day over thirty, and yet you should be in your late fifties. That is one powerful genjutsu you have there."

Tsunade was speechless. She had beads of sweat rolling down her face which shone out brightly against her now pale skin. She tried to push words out of her mouth, but they just wouldn't come out. To finish off one of the weakest moment's in her life, Tsunade's legs were wobbling, threatening to give out at any moment. Tsunade had only acted like this three times in her life: at both Dan's and Nawaki's funerals, and also when Kabuto, the assistant of Orochimaru, poured blood over her.

TenTen shrieked in complete and utter fear. Seeing his girlfriend like this also worried Neji. One of the main reasons why he loved her so much was because she was so unlike the other girls of Konoha, mainly because she wasn't superficial at all. She was very deep and in tune with her emotions, a trait that even Neji envied. For some strange reason, it was very hard for him to discern even the simplest emotions he felt.

"Alright enough. What are you and what do you want? Am I correct in saying you, well at least your voice, is Fujiwara Asaoka?" Neji was determined to take control of the situation. "Byakugan!"

The body turned towards the confident Hyuuga, its feet dragging along the ground as it did so. No one moved; they were still paralyzed in fear. Only Neji had escaped this monster's spell.

"How dare you call me by that weak name. Personal things such as names are weaknesses that should be removed from a shinobi's mind. Besides, this does not concern you boy. Go back to where you came from before you get hurt."

Even though the puppet was already dead, Neji got so flared up that he wanted to kill it again. "Enough! Just state your business." Even though with his eyes, Neji couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The body may have been dead, but there was a chakra systems flowing through its veins as if it were alive.

"Very well. I'm sure Tsunade-sensei has already told you all about the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Am I correct?" Everyone slowly nodded their heads. Only Shikamaru picked up the 'Tsunade-sensei' part.

'_Tsunade-sensei eh? Well I didn't know that part of this mission. I'll have to ask about it later.'_ After storing this into the crevices of his mind, Shikamaru continued to listen, hoping things would get more exciting.

"Did she tell you I, Byakko, am the eighth?"

Naruto had had enough. He was tired of all the stories and just wanted to get down to the bottom of it all. He had already gotten over the fear of seeing a body come back to life, so he was more than ready to hear something interesting.

"Oh come off it Asaoka--"

"SILENCE! Never call me that brat," seethed the human puppet. If the body had control of its lower mouth, you would have been able to see it growl.

Hinata was trembling. Like Tsunade's, they were threatening to give out. This time, the knees beat the body and Hinata just collapsed. She had just gone out with Naruto for the first time ever, and she wanted to make sure it would happen again. Unfortunately, she was still paralyzed with fear. _'Damn my weakness. If only I was more powerful like Naruto. Until then, I doubt he'll ever truly respect me.'_

"Byakko, whatever the hell your name is. Why would they call themselves the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist if there were actually eight?"

You could hear Byakko snicker from the body, even though it didn't show any action of laughing. It was truly an eerie sight. "Oh please. Use that lump on your neck that you call a head. We obviously had a falling out; I wanted more power than was offered to me. After I got kicked out, those bastards renamed the group and erased any affiliation they had with me. Of course, I never forgot how they disgraced me that day. Unfortunately, you have already killed two of my victims, and one is unreachable. However, the four that are under my control are good enough."

"U-Under your control? What the hell do you mean by that?" Neji was getting a bit annoyed. Here was this loudmouthed demon boy that was stealing his thunder, and he was also getting too close to Hinata. _'Something has to be done about Uzumaki…'_

"Have you not seen my power? Not only to I control the Blade of Life, but my kekkei genkai also allows me to control the bodies of the deceased."

Action against Naruto would have to wait for Neji; this 'Byakko' character had to be dealt with first.

"Now, I believe I have nothing further to add. Until we meet again, I bid you all adieu."

"Wait, what is the Blade of Life?" By the time Naruto asked, the body had already degenerated. It was no longer placed neatly in a figure eight, but instead it was simply a mess of flesh and bone. With nothing left to do except clean up the mess, the six ninjas plus the Hokage cleared up the 'present' Byakko had left for them and left.

"I want all of you to go home and try to forget about what happened. It is none of your concern as of now. I am going to call back all jonin and ANBU members from their missions to take this bastard down. Hopefully we'll catch him before he causes any more damage."

If Tsunade was expected them to heed her whim, then she had severely underestimated each ninja's insatiable curiosity, even if feeding it risked death. Ironically, it was the most hyperactive ninja of the group, Naruto, that had remained the most sedate. Oddly enough, he wasn't even thinking about Asaoka/Byakko. His mind was captivated by Hinata's well-being.

'_What is this? I can't think about Hinata right now. Neji would definitely kill me if I did anything of the sort. I just need to focus on something else.'_ Naruto's rumbling stomach provided him with the answer. _'Well, it looks like ramen for me.'_

Naruto couldn't help but look at Hinata one last time before heading off to Ichiraku's. She just looked so scared. Even Neji, although he would never admit it, would want Hinata to calm done by any means. Naruto just hoped he could do it; he hated seeing her look so helpless. She hadn't even moved since the original figure eight manifested itself into a body.

'_Fuck the consequences. I'm going to make sure Hinata is alright, dattebayo! Not even Neji will stop me.'_

After adjusting his forehead protector, Naruto began walking over to Hinata just as confident as ever. "Hey Hinata, are you alright?"

Hinata couldn't even hear him. She was stuck in her own world right now, unable to shake herself out of it.

Naruto was now a little nervous. He got down next to the kneeling Hinata, and continued. "I asked you a question. Are you alright?"

Finally, Hinata shook herself out of her daze. The first thing she saw were Naruto's brightly colored azure eyes, something so beautiful that Hinata remained speechless. After gaining her composure, Hinata was finally able to answer. "Ye-Yeah. I-I'm f-fine Naruto-kun. I-I think I'm go-going h-home now."

Naruto wasn't so sure. Maybe it was his hormones wanting to spend more time with her, or maybe it was out of sheer concern, but either way Naruto was determined not to let her leave. By this time, everyone had already left. Even the overprotective Neji had left, but only because TenTen dragged him away insisting he needed to take her to the fanciest restaurant in Konoha right away.

"Not in your condition your not! Come on, you look hungry. I know the best place to eat, and you're coming with me, no ifs, ands, or buts." Even though Naruto said this in a rather commanding tone, he still smiled at the end giving Hinata the impression that this would be their second "date."

"O-Okay Na-Naruto-kun. Whatever you th-think is be-best." Secretly, Hinata was ecstatic, confident that this was the best day of her life, despite the threatening cloud that loomed overhead Konoha.

"So it's a date!" Grinning idiotically, Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata's neck, causing her to blush madly. He hadn't even meant to say 'date,' but it just felt right, especially around Hinata.

'_Oh crap this might come back to bite me in the ass.' _However, justlooking at Hinata's nervous smile beginning to form sent any doubt in Naruto's head out the window. _'Damn she's cute…'_

Without wasting any more time admiring each other, the "couple" began making their way towards Ichiraku's. They honestly couldn't have been happier.

Unbeknownst to them, their every move was being tracked by Akuba. His spying abilities were the only reason why Byakko had kept him alive for so long.

"Byakko-sama, it seems as though you were right. The purple-haired girl is involved with the Jinchuuriki. Shall I take her now?"

"Not yet Akuba. Allow the relationship to grow. Once he feels "love," you will strike. It is that loss that apparently causes pain in these emotion-filled people."

"Hai Byakko-sama."

* * *

Wow I did not mean to make this chapter so long, seriously. Oh well it can't be helped I guess. Until next time, just review! 


	6. Ichiraku's

**Author's Notes: **Okay, so it looks like this is going to be the last chapter for a while. Please, fight the urge to cry ;) Let's just enjoy this last bit of fluff, okay?

* * *

Hinata was having the time of her life, even if it had only been five minutes. Within that momentary lapse, Hinata had spent more time with Naruto than she ever had in her life. Granted, they had gone on missions together in their genin days, but this was different. This was personal, more intimate. Simply by the act of walking with him under the gentle glow of the street lamps, Hinata's mind felt at ease. 

"Hey, Hinata-chan, Ichiraku's is right over here." Hinata was instantly pulled out of her dream-like state. Naruto's breath felt unnaturally warm on her pale cheeks.

"Alright then. Please, lead the way." Hinata couldn't mask the disappointment of having their romantic walk end so quickly. Naruto, in his usual obliviousness, failed to notice.

"Oh, come on Hinata, you don't have to look so gloomy." Naruto put on a smile that would put the eccentric Gai-sensei to shame. "I promise you will not regret eating this ramen at all!"

It wasn't the ramen Hinata was worried about. All her life, even now as an adult, she had had a confidence problem. She never thought herself to be good enough for anyone, especially the likes of Naruto. This, whether he viewed it so or not, was their first real date.

Hinata was still able to put on a small smile. "Don't worry Naruto. I'll be fine."

"Hey old man! Could I get some pork-miso ramen?" Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku's, smiled and nodded. Though many years had passed, he never questioned his number one customer's term of endearment for him.

"Hinata, do you want anything?"

"N-no Naruto-kun. I-I'm fine."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Okay then, suit yourself."

After the awkward silence that followed, Naruto's ramen had arrived, and none too sooner. Although he did enjoy spending time with a girl, it didn't do much for him when she was completely silent.

"Itadakimasu!" yelled Naruto before digging in to his food.

To any other girl, seeing Naruto inhale his ramen would seem disgusting, but to Hinata it looked rather amusing, even borderline cute. She admired his boyish charm ever since they were genins. Since then, it had only been emphasized by his growth into adulthood. Hinata was very happy it had never completely disappeared.

"Hey Hinata, you haven't said a word all night. I hope that Byakko jerk didn't scare you too much," said Naruto playfully while giving her a friendly punch on the shoulder.

Hinata froze like a deer in the headlights. She honestly had no idea what to say at his innocent, yet piercing, question.

Naruto waved his hand over Hinata's paralyzed face. Sighing, Naruto knew this would happen. She had always acted weirdly around him, so why should anything change now?

'_And here I thought I would get to spend some time with her. Well, I guess I'd better bring her home then.'_

Just as Naruto was getting up, Hinata finally found the courage to speak.

"I-I'm f-f-fine, b-but wha-what a-about you? What's going to ha-happen t-to your ni-ninja st-status? Y-you m-missed your j-j-jounin examination di-didn't you?" Although she had finally spoken to Naruto, Hinata silently berated herself. _'Why can't I speak to him without this damn stutter? He must think I'm such a freak.'_

Naruto smiled gently. He too was glad the quirks from their childhood weren't gone. Despite the popular opinion of Hinata's stuttering as a sign of weakness, Naruto had always thought it was rather cute.

"Don't worry about." Something about Naruto's soft voice calmed Hinata down immensely. "I'm sure Tsunade-baachan already cancelled them. We shouldn't be overreaching ourselves with this new enemy on our asses. We don't want another Orochimaru episode again, now do we?"

Looking into his cerulean orbs, Hinata knew everything was going to be okay. Suddenly, she was filled with hunger. Whether it was the calming sensation that Naruto brought to her, or whether it was the fact that she had not eaten all day, Hinata knew she had to eat something, and fast.

"Uh, Naruto-kun? Could I try some of that?"

Amazingly, Naruto didn't finish his ramen on the first bite. There were at least half of the sweet noodles left in his bowl. He had been too captivated by Hinata's depressing demeanor to finish off his food in the first place.

Behind the counter, Teuchi smiled to himself. He was glad Naruto found a girl that could take his interest off his ramen. Even though this would negatively affect his business, he was content that Naruto would be able to spend the rest of his life with someone.

"Of course Hinata! You're going to have to be quick though 'cause I'm hungry too!" With that, both shinobi picked up their chopsticks and dug in.

Hinata had never tasted anything so delicious in her life. Due to her direct relationship with the richest clan in Konoha, she had always received the best foods which were always prepared by the finest chefs. However, they did not compare to what she was eating now; at heart, Hinata was a simple girl that did not demand much.

"Naruto-kun! This… this is delicious!" said Hinata between huge bites that mirrored Naruto's.

"Heh you don't have to tell me! I've been eating this stuff forever!" replied Naruto heartily, winking coyly. He was glad Hinata had finally come out of her shell.

"Arigato Naruto." Hinata said after the bowl had been emptied. She then fished around in her pocket and pulled out some money. "Here's my share."

"Oh don't worry about it Hinata. This is my treat!" Naruto smiled again. He loved how polite Hinata was towards him. It was far better than getting punched in the head by Sakura.

Hinata responded to Naruto's grin with one of her own, but it was much smaller and far less noticeable. Unfortunately, it was shaded from him because Hinata's trademark blush overshadowed it.

"It's getting late Naruto. I have to go." Although Hinata didn't want to leave, facing her father after curfew was not worth spending a few extra moments with her crush.

"Oh… Okay…" Naruto did not want Hinata to leave either. It was nice sharing company with a girl that could stand him for more than five minutes. "Here, I'll walk you home. No complaining okay?"

Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata's neck jokingly, pulling her closer to him. This only caused Hinata to blush an even deeper shade of red and feel lightheaded. Even if she wanted to protest, it would be impossible in her current, infatuated state.

She made no attempt to get out of his stranglehold. In fact, she enjoyed it very much. Having Naruto hold her like this felt like a dream to her, but it was everything from that. This was reality, and Hinata preferred it far over her fantasies.

* * *

Walking under the starlight had always had a profound effect on Hinata. She no longer felt nervous; being in the darkness gave her some type of a superficial confidence. She could move around unnoticed and unheard by anyone, giving her the feeling of invincibility to embarrassment. Even though she was extremely close to another person, Hinata still felt that same confidence. 

Soon, they were talking to each other about everything from the past, to the present, and even the future. If anybody passed Naruto and Hinata on their walk towards the Hyuuga complex, they would have believed they were a couple. Obviously, Hinata relished the thought.

"Naruto-kun, we really should do this more often!" said Hinata cheerfully. "I love seeing you so happy! You should be like this all the time."

"Hmm Hinata it looks like you don't know me very well, now do you? I am happy all the time, dattebayo!"

Hinata gave him a playful nudge on his shoulder. "Oh yeah well what about when you're thinking about Sa—" Hinata stopped herself just in time. Of all the things that shook Naruto down to his very core, the mention of Uchiha Sasuke's name was one of the few at the top.

"Naruto-kun… I—I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to," stammered Hinata apologetically. Moving away from the now immobilized Naruto, she also added hoarsely, "I think I can get home from here."

"No, wait." Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand as she was walking away, causing a warming sensation in both of them. "I guess I should talk about Sa—him. I really need to get over myself already."

'_What am I thinking? I can't just dump my problems on Hinata. It—it just isn't right,'_ thought Naruto. All doubts were cast aside when Hinata rejoined his side, leading him to a bench on the side of the road.

Hinata simply stared at Naruto in apprehension. She was not used to seeing her hero so vulnerable and weak. Hopefully, she would be able to pull him out of his dark and gloomy mind.

"I really didn't mean to do _it_," started Naruto who was busy looking at a wilting flower. "But I knew I had to, for the good of the village you know? Still—" Naruto looked at his hands as if they had betrayed him. "—I wish there was another way. In killing _him_—" Naruto spat the word out. "—I broke the only promise I made to Sakura."

FLASHBACK

_It was raining, just like their first confrontation at the Valley of the End. Both ninja faced each other with the intent to kill, but deep down neither wanted to do the deed. Still, both Naruto's and Sasuke's primal instincts took over, propelling them to end their opponent's life._

_The battle itself was short-lived; both had taken much time, energy, and chakra to take out their opposite's subordinates. They knew they only had one chance to kill the other. It would indeed come down to one final attack._

_Breathing heavily, Naruto spoke first, "So, this is how it ends? Is this how you pictured it Sasuke-teme?"_

_Sasuke didn't even dignify Naruto's comment with a reply. Without even moving, he simply summoned his powerful Chidori into his hand. Likewise, Naruto brought into his a pulsating Rasengan. _

_If you didn't know any better, you would have sworn you saw tears coming out of both combatants' eyes. Even after years of evil and hatred, Sasuke still felt emotions and a longing to return to Konoha. Sadly, he knew it would be impossible after betraying them in favor of Orochimaru._

"_CHIDORI!" roared Sasuke, running at his former friend._

"_RASENGAN!" yelled Naruto with similar furor. _

_This time, the combination of both Chidori and Rasengan did not result in a giant black sphere as it did in the Valley of the End. Instead, there was Sasuke, arm outstretched only scratching Naruto's headband. As for Naruto, he had snaked under Sasuke with his Rasengan buried deep inside Sasuke's chest. Death was immediate; irony was cruelly noticeable. _

_Realizing his inner pain was finally over, Sasuke was able to rest in peace. "Nice one… Naruto-dobe…"_

_After the power of the Rasengan dispersed inside Sasuke's now mangled body, Naruto felt a sense of relief wash over him. However, he was not finished. He, or it, the Kyuubi, smelled death, and its bloodlust had not yet been quenched. Like a true demon, Naruto ripped open his friend's body as if it were paper. He also punched Sasuke's head in until you could no longer recognize the Uchiha prodigy. Naruto was so sickened by Sasuke's deeds that he wanted him completely erased from history. _

_Naruto glanced at his now blood-red hands. Through his eyes, you could see the Kyuubi's soul. Pure evil had taken over Naruto. Unlike any other human, Naruto began licking his palms as if trying to taste the blood of his first kill. Despite his conscience screaming 'no!' the Kyuubi overpowered it with a resounding 'yes.' _

"_**Well brat, how does it feel knowing you finally ended a life?"**_

"_It feels… good," growled Naruto in his mind's eye. _

"_**Good, good. Killings will only feel better as time goes on," the Kyuubi purred. "It looks like you might just make a respectable shinobi yet." **_

_Content with its work, the human side of Naruto finally took control. He looked over at Sasuke's destroyed corpse with tears streaming down his face. He couldn't believe what he, no the Kyuubi, had just done. It took the rest of his energy to let out a wail so painful and long-lasting, that he finally realized the terrible deed that he had just commited._

_'So, this is the life of a ninja?' Naruto thought bitterly. 'How... terrible.' _

_Naruto couldn't hold consciousness after that. When the medical ninja reached him, he was passed out. As a final act of friendship, Naruto had laid his hand on top of Sasuke, hoping to reach him in the afterlife._

END FLASHBACK

Hinata put a helping hand over Naruto's shoulders with only a moment's hesitation, and put the other inside Naruto's. While she was gently massaging the back of his hand with her thumb, she could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy. _'He still cares about _her?_ Even after all this time?'_

"That's not even the worst bit," continued Naruto, his voice wavering only slightly. "Even after I did _it,_ I felt… relieved, almost happy. That isn't how any normal person is supposed to feel after they... they _kill_ someone is it? For the first time, I really let this demon control me." Naruto averted his gaze from Hinata, but you could still see his tears fall and hit the ground.

Hinata gasped. She was appalled; how could Naruto even think such terrible things? In her mind, she promised he never would again.

"Naruto, that was the past. You don't have to worry about it anymore!" pleaded Hinata.

"You don't understand!" Naruto stood up violently. "I was glad I killed him! And I would do it again too!"

"No, Naruto, you don't mean that!" It was Hinata's turn to rise from the bench. She began searching his eyes for any sense of happiness, but now they represented an ocean that was getting ready for a storm.

"Yes, yes I do! Don't you see, I am part demon! I'm not even human!" Naruto had just about had enough. He even forgot the reason why he started talking to Hinata. "I'm going, and don't you dare follow me."

"Na-Naruto-kun…" Hinata clasped his hand in a last ditch effort to keep him at her side. Sadly, Naruto didn't want her compassion. He shook free of Hinata's hands and stormed off in a huff, never bothering to look back.

"Naruto… please, wait…" Hinata's voice barely rose above a whisper. Naruto was gone, and with him he took all the hope from Hinata's frail psyche.

* * *

Argh I don't feel good about this chapter. I may have to look over my shoulder for all you NaruHina fans. My last will and testament is that you all review this ;) 


	7. Begin

**Author's Notes:** Argh sorry about the long update. School's starting and I have homework etc. etc. Anyways, on with the story!

* * *

'_**Why are you still thinking about her Kit? What happened is done; get over yourself already.'**_

The Kyuubi was facing Naruto, its face etched between anger and annoyance. Dealing with humans was a tiresome task for the formidable Nine-Tailed Demon. Killing them was easy; trying to listen was far harder, if not impossible. To top everything off, being trapped inside one only made matters even worse.

'_Why should I? You didn't see her face. She doesn't deserve that, no, my, burden.'_

Naruto couldn't allow the picture of Hinata's face escape his mind. Replaying this memory of her on the verge of tears made him hate himself. This was the only punishment that he could think of, but only apologizing would clear his mind.

'_**On the contrary, brat, what you see, I see. I just happen to lack this weakness of human emotion. There are more pressing matters at hand.'**_

Naruto rolled over in his bed so he could now face his ceiling. Sighing inwardly, he knew the Kyuubi was right. This new threat of Byakko had to take presidence for the sake of the village. For the time being, thinking about Hinata would have to wait. Still, it wouldn't harm to apologize to her.

'_Ah what do you know anyway? You're just a demon. You have no idea what it is to be human.'_

'_**Oh trust me I know more than you think,' **_interjected the Kyuubi. Its voice then dropped down to a sly undertone. _**'Like for instance your inner feelings for that lavender-haired girl—"**_

'_Alright enough already you disgusting pervert. I'm sorry I even asked.'_

With that, Naruto cut the Kyuubi from his thoughts completely. He'd be damned if he was going to let a demon fox rule his life. The only thing that it was good for was for supplying him with extra chakra during battle, but this situation was different, far, far different.

Naruto silently slipped out of bed while yanking his frog night-cap off his head. The clock downstairs indicated that is was already ten o'clock, and Naruto's stomach was growling angrily to be fed. It was a good thing he kept a nearly infinite supply of ramen in his kitchen.

Stumbling downstairs, Naruto soon slipped back into his thoughts about Hinata. Unfortunately, he was so caught up in her that he slipped down the remaining steps only to have his head meet the banister in full force with a loud "thud".

"Damn it," grumbled Naruto, gingerly rubbing what was now forming into a bruise on his forehead. "Why do I have the feeling that this isn't going to be a good day?"

Oblivious as always, Naruto stumbled on into his kitchen. Eagerly, he ripped open the cabinent that held his supply of ramen. The only problem was...

"DAMN IT WHERE'S MY RAMEN?!"

* * *

"Tsunade-sama… you have to wake up…" 

For the fifth time today, Tsunade had been woken up by her assistant Shizune. She had been hard at work trying to locate Byakko, as well as calling back every possible operative that was away on missions. So far, both had resulted in total failures.

Shizune poked at Tsunade a bit harder. Any more and she would have left a nasty bruise on her mentor's left arm. Sighing inwardly, she thought, _'I hope I won't have to do this the entire time she's Hokage.' _

"Okay I'm awake, I'm awake!" exclaimed the now invigorated Tsunade. Since first becoming Hokage, Tsunade had gotten better at waking up from her routine, and perhaps even planned, naps. Her sake habits could do a little better though.

"Any luck?"

"None at all," Tsunade grimaced. "This bastard isn't easy to find, and these stupid microphones aren't working at all. Honestly, what's the point of having them when all I get is static?"

"Isn't there any other way to call them back?"

"Unless you want to go find them on foot, I don't think so," snapped Tsunade.

"Hey I was just asking," retorted Shizune. "You don't have to do this by yourself you know."

"BYOU!" the shrill shriek of Tonton filled the room, effectively ending the brawl between mentor and apprentice.

"Gomen kudasai Tsunade-sama," said Shizune hastily while bowing her head low. "I was out of line."

Tsunade interlocked her fingers as she often did to indicate deep thought. Shizune had always been a good student, and more importantly a good friend. Her only fault was her inability to speak her mind, especially to Tsunade. It was true Tsunade was her superior, but in this case Shizune had been right in offering help.

"No, Shizune, I am sorry. I just don't understand why I have been unable to reach anybody. If this problem persists—" Tsunade's fist smashed down upon an unlucky walkie-talkie leaving it in a mess of wires and shrapnel "—then I am afraid we will have to use what we have, namely Shikamaru, Sakura, Hinata, Neji, and Naruto."

"B-but Tsunade-sama! To put them on an S-class mission in their age and experience… the result would surely be suici—"

Tsunade brought up hand indicating for Shizune to stop. Of course the Hokage had analyzed all possible outcomes, and this situation was certainly not the worst. It wasn't, however, much better either.

"Something is better than nothing," grimaced Tsunade. "Let's rally the troops, shall we? But first, I have to see how my apprentice is doing with her medical training."

* * *

"Jyuuken!" 

Neji's open fist soared through the air only to be met with Hinata's counterpart which left a trail of blue chakra in the air. After sparring for what seemed like hours, Hinata's face was already highlighted with beads of sweat rolling down her face. Neji, on the other hand, remained calm, cool, and collected as always.

Neji again went for a fatal blow, just above her right arm. By cutting off this particular chakra point, chakra would stop flowing throughout her entire arm, thus preventing her from making any hand seals and would also halt her Shugohakke Rokuuyon Sho. Without that, she would be completely open to attack.

"Come on Hinata-sama, when are you going to start trying?" taunted Neji. "I thought this was the day you were going to beat me. You said so yourself didn't you?"

Both Hyuugas returned to their stances. Neji's looked much like Rock Lee's; his left arm placed itself behind his back while his right hand was pointed towards Hinata. His opponent, on the other hand, was too breathless to even compose herself. This indicated the perfect moment to catch her off guard and end the fight.

"Don't… count… me out… just yet," said Hinata through her pants. Despite her confidence, she knew this fight was almost over due to her rapidly decreasing chakra levels. This had to end right away.

Neji took this momentary pause as a sign to attack. In one swift motion, he brought his left hand from behind his back into the face of the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata just barely missed his attack by ducking out of the way; she could even feel the wind blow across the top of her head.

Using a sweeping kick from her lower position, Hinata was able to cause Neji to lose balance— a surprising mistake for the usually apt ninja. He hit the ground without even trying to catch himself. This was first thing that should have made Hinata suspicious, but instead she remained unaware of her impeding defeat.

"Neji, when did you stop paying attention? Rule number one: always be aware of your opponent and surroundings," lectured Hinata. Far be it from her to be teaching Neji, but this kind of moment was rare and she could not pass up.

_Poof._ So it was just too good to be true. To be tricked with such a simple substitution jutsu—well then again it appeared too easy to begin with. Neji just happened to be a genius after all. Now, it was just a matter of when and where he would strike.

'_Crap where is he?' _thought Hinata desperately. "Byakugan!"

Hinata felt the blood and chakra pour into her eyes. She had long since gotten used to this feeling, but there was still a miniscule amount of pain. In any case, Neji wouldn't be able to hide for long. He couldn't have gotten far, so it was only a matter of seconds before he was found. Unfortunately for Hinata, there was a person of more importance that had entered her complete 360 degrees vision.

'_Naruto-kun? What's he doing here?'_

Hinata's question would have to wait. After all the fight was not over just yet. Taking your eyes off of the likes of Neji Hyuuga would always result in a severe penalty. This battle was no different.

Like a bullet, Neji's hands shot up from the ground just underneath Hinata. Despite being buried under dirt, Neji still found his target: Hinata's legs, no doubt because of his identical Byakugan. Pulling with full force, Neji switched places with a now thoroughly embarrassed Hinata. He now loomed over her head, the only visible part of her body right now.

Crouching down as to make their eyes level, Neji smirked heartily. Hinata had not even seen his full potential, yet he beat her at about fifty percent of his power. Only Kami-sama knew why she took his place in the main branch of the Hyuuga clan. Fate is a cruel force indeed.

"Now what was that you were saying about being aware of your surroundings?"

Hinata couldn't bear looking into his eyes. To be humiliated like that, especially in front of Naruto, was almost too much for the now buried Hyuuga.

"Hey Hinata! That was a great fight!" Naruto always wore that grin, that stupid, happy-go-lucky grin, no matter what the situation was. How Hinata wished she could have his confidence, if only for a moment.

"It could have been better," murmured Hinata. "Do you mind helping me out?"

Hinata could barely move in her new earthly tomb. Getting out by herself would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Thankfully, Naruto was kind enough to put down whatever he was doing and help out his friends.

"No problem Hinata! Hey, where'd Neji go? He should be the one helping you out. After all, he _was_ the one that buried you."

This was true, but Hinata didn't even care about Neji now. Spending time with Naruto was always at the top of her to do list, right above gaining the respect of her father and becoming confident in herself. Even though he was only digging her up, just being around him caused a soothing feeling in Hinata.

"Almost… there," grunted Naruto. Right now, Hinata's upper torso had emerged. Perhaps it was a side effect of the Kyuubi, but in any case Naruto dug as well as a dog. He would probably give Akamaru a run for his money.

In a matter of minutes, Hinata emerged. Not as gracefully as she would have liked, but getting out would suffice. The only problem was that she now wore a dress of mud and dirt, but that was perhaps a good thing. Had she not been, Naruto would be looking at what resembled the color of a beet stretching out across Hinata's face.

Carefully brushing off some of the dirt on Hinata's shoulders, Naruto added, "there you go! Good as new!"

Hinata didn't even hear him. In fact, it was almost as if she was lost her in own mind. Being around her one and only crush did that to her often.

'_Na-Naruto-kun… s-so c-close… t-t-touching t-touching…' _Hinata was speechless, but as soon as Naruto began shaking her a bit she found her voice. "Go-gomen Naruto-kun, but I think I should, ah, clean myself up a bit."

"Okay then. Suit yourself," replied Naruto, shrugging. "I guess I'll see you around then?"

"Of course, Naruto-kun." Inwardly, Hinata was ecstatic. _'Naruto-kun wants to hang out with _me?!_' _

"Oh and Hinata, about last night— I'm really sorry okay? I didn't mean to fly off the handle like that, it's just that—"

"Don't worry, it's fine Naruto," said Hinata, smiling. "I'm sure there's a reason, but you don't have to tell me."

"A-arigato Hinata-chan," replied Naruto. He couldn't shake off this feeling for Hinata. Could the Kyuubi have been right?

Hinata face reddened again. Naruto may have added "chan" accidentally, but the effect was the same: Hinata felt a sense of elation throughout the core of her body. No feeling had ever come close to what she felt now, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Unfortunately, this feeling could not stop the impending awkward silence that followed. Grinning sheepishly, Naruto decided to break it by walking away.

"See ya later Hinata-chan!" Somehow, this new name just felt right.

"Right, see you around Naruto-kun." Hinata couldn't help tenting her index fingers as she was saying this. Old habits never truly die, especially for this shy heiress.

* * *

'_When did this happen? I was gone for five minutes, but it looks like Hinata-sama has turned into a totally new person.'_

Neji had been looking on with much interest, and he still could not believe his eyes. It was wrong to mistrust them; they saw just as much as the Sharingan. And yet… Hinata never acted this confidently. Was the presence of Naruto really that powerful around her?

"Neji, may I have a word?"

The voice of Hyuuga Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga clan cut through Neji's thoughts like a knife. Hiashi never spoke to Neji directly, but that was most likely a formality issue. It was a well-known fact that many branch members resented the main family, so the two factions usually kept to themselves. Because of this little fact, Neji suspected what Hiashi wanted was of the utmost importance. Why he did not ask another member of the main family was beyond even him.

"Hai, Hiashi-sama. What can I do for you?"

"Please, follow me. This concerns my daughter and her new—" Hiashi paused. It was clear he did not say the following word often. "—friend."

* * *

Sakura's brow creased in frustration. She finally stepped up from sparring against Shizune only to be knocked back down by Tsunade. This angered her to no end; she really believed she had made leaps and bounds of progress under the tutelage of the Fifth, but this seemingly illusionary progress had thus far failed to reveal itself in practice. 

"Sakura, what's the matter? You're doing just fine. I am one of the Legendary Sannin for a reason you know."

Sakura wiped the blood from her mouth, flicking it away in one motion. God forbid she get her clothes dirty, but breaking a bone or two against the feared slug master was no problem.

"All you have to do is hit me. If you are going to be my apprentice, then you are going to have to come at me with full force."

"What do you think I've been trying to do?" snapped Sakura. "You're not exactly the easiest opponent I've ever faced."

'_Hmph. She reminds me of myself when I was younger, but she is far stronger. I hope the people of this village will be able to handle her.'_

Sakura threw another punch at her mentor. Of course, this action was futile, but it couldn't harm to try.

Or so she thought.

Instead of merely sidestepping Sakura's attacks like before, Tsunade instead delivered a small punch to the gut. However, small is relative compared to the monstrous strength of this sannin. To Sakura, it felt like getting hit with a ton of bricks. To any normal human, this particular punch would send them flying for a solid mile.

"If I said it before, I've said it a thousand times: Don't hold back! The enemy sure as hell won't," said Tsunade with a slight tone of annoyance. Even her patience was beginning to wane. Sakura still lacked the killer intent that was necessary for an effective shinobi to have.

Instead of rebuking her sensei, Sakura could only remain in the crumpled mess that Tsunade caused. That punch combined with the previous three hours of straight training left her completely paralyzed.

"Well, I guess that's it for today. Brush up and go get something to eat. We will continue this tomorrow," sighed Tsunade. As she was walking away, another thing crossed her mind. "Wait, Sakura. Before I go, could you go get Neji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Hinata? I want them at my office by eleven. Got it?"

Her tone implied this wasn't so much a request as it was a demand. Of course, Sakura wouldn't have disobeyed either way, but Tsunade needed to get her point across clearly.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Sakura's paralysis seemed to have been cured. Then again, she wouldn't have been much of a medical nin is she couldn't handle a simple punch. "I'll bring them in less than fifteen minutes."

* * *

Neji burst from the Hyuuga complex, his face stricken in fear. What Hiashi had asked of him, there was no doubt: it could only be categorized as treason against the village of Konoha. 

Walking around aimlessly but mostly towards the marketplace, Neji wandered what to do. To decline a mission from the head of the household… no. There would be only one conclusion: activation of the Hyuuga family curse seal on his forehead which would only result in his death. But to accept… the consequences could be far more deadly.

"Neji-kun! Neji-kun!" Tenten's voice entered Neji's mind, pretty much cutting off any thoughts he had on this new, secret mission.

"Oh, Tenten-chan, I didn't see you there," responded Neji half-heartedly. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her right now, it's just that she came at perhaps the most inopportune moment. He needed to think about this thoroughly, and Tenten would only get in the way.

Tenten crossed her arms in irritation. Sometimes it felt like she was dating a robot, but then again that did define Neji pretty well. Sooner or later, Tenten promised, she would break his icy demeanor and the vice-like grip the Hyuuga clan held on him.

"Of course you wouldn't notice your _girlfriend_ of all people Neji," replied Tenten with only tiniest hint of sarcasm in her voice. "It's not like I'm supposed to be the most important person in the world to you."

"Gomen Tenten. I was just thinking about something." Guess he couldn't take the joke.

"Oh Neji-kun, you know I can't stay mad at you," Tenten remarked smiling.

For now he was forgiven. Lucky too, because Tenten could have thrown about fifty different weapons at Neji if she wanted. Even his Hakkesho Kaiten wouldn't have been able to block all of them.

Grinning, Tenten wrapped the her arms around Neji, not allowing him escape. There were times, this being one of them, when she just wished he would stop caring about his clan, but she knew that would never be true.

"Come on baka, the Fifth would like a word with us."

"Us?" asked Neji quizically. Now his mind was completely off what Hiashi asked of him. "A mission?"

Tenten shook her head. "Sakura didn't say. She just asked for me to find you and bring you to Hokage-sama's office."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go." Classical Neji, always going straight to business.

"Well we have about ten minutes before the deadline. Wouldn't you rather do something more, I don't know, fun? I know of a great place down at—"

Instead of giving her an answer to her face, Neji just leaped off towards the Hokage leaving poor Tenten in the dust. His disregard for her feelings sometimes made her wish she never began dating him. Still, he was the most powerful jounin in Konoha, probably the cutest too... but no. Tenten would have to stop praising him if she was going to get back at him. He was definitely going to pay for this.

"That's it," grumbled Tenten while angrily brushing the dirt off her clothes. "When this is over, I'm going to kill him."

Taking after Neji's example, Tenten too ran off towards the enormous fire-red building located at the heart of Konoha. The only difference between them was that she was brandishing one of her many specially made kunai. God help Neji when she caught up with him.

* * *

Meh not really impressed with this chapter. It's probably more filler than anything else. Oh well. Review anyway! 


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